Resolved Is this really Microsoft?

About a month ago, I started getting phone calls, three or four times a week (including Sundays and Easter) and always early afternoon Denmark time, telling me that there has been an Internet related virus in my area and my computer is infected; though I have run full system scans with my just updated AVG software and no infections were found. They then ask me to turn on my computer so they could show me where it is.

The connection is always very bad (long distance?) and the caller, sometimes a man and sometimes a women, but sometimes when I answer (always in English) no one says anything, but the line is alive. If I ask them if they are
selling an anti-virus product, they just hang-up. They always have what sounds like a very heavy Asian accent.

Today when I answered the phone, it was a very aggressive sounding man and when I asked him to "please stop calling me as I've already recieved over a dozen calls about this" he got very mad and said "How can you say that, I've never called you before and I'm calling from Microsoft." That was the end of the conversation.

I've got a very bad back and it is a real pain to get-up and go to the phone. I emailed Microsoft Denmark about the problem, but have not recieved reply yet. Is this really Microsoft or just a marketing scheme which won't take no for an answer, and is there any way to get them to stop TIA

 

This scam is sometimes known as (or is a variation of) the 'The Ammyy Scam', primarily because the callers often try to get you to download (perfectly legitimate Ammyy.com software) for nefarious purposes. There has been quite a long running thread at Wilders Security Forums.

 

Ammyy.com > Ammyy Admin - cases of malicious use. Official WARNING.

 

I am fairly sure they are legitimate, they have a green WOT rating.

Hmmm ... that is odd.

 

WOT is just a tool. Its not gospel truth. Since WOT depends on the users to rate sites, people can get around it by creating dummy accounts & rating a website high & safe.

 

This is not strictly true though is it? WOT uses quite sophisticated algorithms as well as user recommendations. I know that there has been some debate about some of their more 'ethical' recommendations which have often been perceived to be a tad controversial.

I know many who actually do think that WOT is a bit of a tool. I know all about the paranoia surrounding WOT & I'm pretty sure they had nothing to do with the second gunman on the grassy knoll. I know many will contend this, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. The general consensus at Wilders is that Ammyy.com is a genuine company.

Concerning WOT: 'The company claims the system is extremely difficult to abuse and says that attempts usually get noticed.' ~ Wikipedia

OK, I admit, they would say that, wouldn't they?

Anyway, VirusTotal (who also weren't on the grassy knoll) find the site clean. If that's worth anything.

So does McAfee's Site Advisor FWIW.

And so does Trust My Web.

Of course, they could all be 'in-on' the conspiracy together.

 

I'm not saying you're wrong, but are you totally sure about this? The general consensus at Wilders is that Ammyy.com is a genuine company that certain (often Indian/Pakistani) 'call centres' use to get unsuspecting punters to download their software which can then be used to take control of another machine. This is often done by 'tech' personnel in many situations quite legitimately. It isn't anything to do with Ammyy.com.

Is this the address you're talking about?

308 108th Ave NE D209
Bellevue, P 98004
US

I got it from 'Whois' (Flagfox). I had a look on Google Earth at the address. I can't say it told me much though.

 

This is looking a bit odd, I admit.

It wouldn't take 'hours' ... maybe 'an hour' at most.

Of course, you're accepting that your information is correct. It's not that I don't believe you, I'm just wondering if there hasn't been some mix-up or mistake in the information itself.

 

Well, I think it is hasty to make corollaries based on only a small amount of information.

I get something very similar: 600 University St, Seattle, WA 98101, USA (see attached Google Earth jpeg)

An office building in a street full of skyscrapers in the heart of the business quarter of downtown Seattle. I believe in both coincidences & synchronicity. What do you reckon that it just could indeed be a bona fide address?

Well, apart from the fact that is a crass generalisation, the Cold War has been over for years. Bulverisms aside, this is more likely to be some form of website error. Possibly by someone not used to non-Cyrillic writing.

I doubt that Ammyy's software works like that. AFAIK it is downloaded onto a computer & it can connect P2P with a similarly equipped computer. The 'rogue' Indian company has nothing to do with Ammyy & they probably can't shut down or influence a company in a country thousands of kilometres away. The Indian/Pakistani police should do this. The police corruption in those countries is a real problem though.

You could say the same thing about a service like Skype, if it was being used for nefarious purposes.

The rogue callers are opportunists & try to trick the unsuspecting into downloading software that can be utilised by them to access another computer.

I doubt that Ammyy.com can prevent that, apart from the warning they give on their site, as shown in an earlier post on this thread. I'm also pretty sure that if Ammyy.com are the criminal organisation that you asseverate, WOT, Site Advisor, Trust My Web inter alia would 'red-flag' them. Which they have not.